123

123
Allesio’s POV
The air between us was heavier than it had ever been. I could feel her warmth next to me, the way her fingers brushed against mine as we sat together in the quiet corner of her room. We’d just returned from her spot in the countryside, and though she seemed at ease, I was anything but.
Every time she looked at me, I felt a little piece of my resolve crack. Her trust, fragile and tentative, had started to grow. And for the first time, I didn’t know if I wanted to keep chipping away at it for Alaric’s sake-or if I wanted to protect it, selfishly, for my own.
“Everything okay?” Rosa’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.
Her dark eyes were on me, searching. She wasn’t like the others in her world. She didn’t hide behind bravado or manipulation. When she asked a question, it was because she genuinely wanted to know.
“Yeah,” I lied, forcing a smile. “Just tired.”
“You’ve been saying that a lot lately,” she said softly, tilting her head. Her hair fell over her shoulder, and I found myself wanting to reach out and tuck it back.
Instead, I leaned back, trying to create some distance. “Long days.”
She didn’t push, but her gaze lingered, and it made my chest tighten.
The problem wasn’t the mission anymore-it was her. I couldn’t stay detached, couldn’t keep telling myself this was just another job. Rosa had a way of pulling me in, of making me forget that everything I’d said and done since meeting her was built on a foundation of lies.
“You’ve been quiet,” she said, her voice low.
I handed her a glass, not meeting her eyes. “Have I?”
She nodded, taking a sip. “It’s not like you.”
I glanced at her then, my resolve weakening even further. “Maybe I’m trying to let you talk for once.”
She smirked, that sharp wit of hers lighting up the room. “Don’t try to pin this on me. You’re the one acting strange.”
Her teasing should have made it easier to keep things light, but it only reminded me how much I liked her. That was the problem. She wasn’t supposed to get under my skin. But she had, and now, I couldn’t shake the feeling that I was spiraling out of control.
“You ever think about getting out of all this?” I asked suddenly, surprising even myself.
She blinked at me. “Out of what?”
“Your world. The syndicate, the alliances, the rivalries. All of it.”
Her expression turned thoughtful, and she set her glass down on the counter. “Sometimes,” she admitted. “But it’s not that simple. This life… it’s in my blood.”
“Doesn’t mean it has to define you,” I said, leaning against the counter.
She laughed softly, a sound that was equal parts amused and sad. “That’s easy to say when you’re not a Smith.”
She didn’t mean it as a jab, but it hit harder than I expected. She trusted me-more than she should-and every word out of her mouth felt like another weight on my conscience.
“I think it’s impressive,” I said, shifting the conversation. “The way you handle it all. The way you stand your ground.”
Her eyes softened, and she stepped closer. “Sometimes, I feel like I’m just pretending,” she confessed. “Like I’m not as strong as everyone thinks I am.”
“You’re stronger than you know,” I said, meaning it.
She looked up at me then, her face so open, so unguarded, that it made my chest ache. And before I could think better of it, I reached out, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek.
She didn’t pull away. Instead, she leaned into my touch, her hand coming to rest on mine.
“You’re not just saying that, are you?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
“No,” I said. “I’m not.”
Her lips curved into the faintest smile, and in that moment, I hated myself. Hated the lies, the manipulation, the way I was playing her like a pawn. Because when she looked at me like that, I didn’t feel like the Allesio who followed Alaric’s orders. I felt like the man I used to be-the one who wanted something real.
I pressed my lips against hers, kissing her because I wanted to taste her mouth again. I wanted to press my whole body against hers and run my hands over that silky tan skin.
She was incredibly soft. I didn’t know how someone with the personality of a cactus could have the softest lips, shoulders, and breasts that I’d ever touched. I wanted to run my hands over every inch of her.
It didn’t take time at all for her to undo my belt and zipper and then straddle me.
Rosa put an arm around my neck, steadying herself while she lined the head of my cock up with her entrance. Then she wrapped both legs around my waist as my cock slid all the way inside of her.
I gripped her thick ass with both hands, my fingers digging into her cheeks. I held her up as she starts to ride me, her arms locked around my neck, her body grinding against mine.
Oh fucking hell.
Her pussy was so damn hot. It clenched around my cock, squeezing me on the inward and the outward motion of the thrust.
As she got closer to the edge, she started to ride me even harder, her pussy like a vise around my cock. She was slamming down on me over and over. The intensity of the strokes making me dizzy.
But there’s no fucking way I’m tapping out. I carried her up, pressing her against the wall and fucked her harder, determined to prove that I can dish it back to her twice as heavy.
When her eyes started to roll back, I felt a surge of triumph.
“Oh my god . . . oh my god . . . oh . . . Alles . . .”
I was wringing the climax out of her. It went on and on, drawn out by every stroke of my cock. It was so fucking sexy seeing that pleasured expression on her face, watching her submit to the pleasure surging through her body.
I carried her to the bed and we both laid down on it. She rested her head on my chest, her fingers tracing patterns on my skin. The guilt came crashing down once again.
“What are you thinking about?” she asked, her voice drowsy but curious.
I hesitated, knowing that every word mattered. “You,” I said finally.
She laughed softly. “That’s not an answer.”
“It’s the truth,” I said, and for once, it was.
She propped herself up on her elbow, looking down at me. “You’re full of surprises, Allesio.”
“You have no idea,” I muttered under my breath.
She didn’t hear me-or if she did, she chose not to press. Instead, she leaned down, kissing me again, and I let myself get lost in her.